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A Look Inside Triumph's New Factory Experience

Taking a road ridden by other motorcycle manufacturers, Triumph has built and opened a new visitor center at its UK manufacturing facilities in Hinckley.

Calling the visitor center ‘immersive’ it allows fans to go behind-the-scenes and journey through a 115 years of motorcycling excellence. Set to open on November 1st, the Triumph Factory Experience is free to visit and will showcase an exclusive collection of never-before-seen exhibits centered around design, engineering and manufacture of Triumph’s most iconic models.

Among the most exciting exhibits will be the most famous movie Triumph of all time, the Bonneville on which Steve McQueen attempted to jump the border fence in The Great Escape, which has been lovingly restored to working order.

Two-wheeled stars from road, track and screen include the very first Triumph No1 from 1902, the Speed Triple ridden by Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 2 and the latest race engine prototype for the 2019 Moto2TM championship.

Visitors will be able to book a guided tour of the Hinckley factory, which is at the heart of motorcycle manufacturing in the UK and is the spiritual home of Triumph. This extensive behind the scenes tour of the engineering and manufacturing facilities will give an unprecedented insight into Triumph’s unique and leading approach to designing and building motorcycles.

“We are very proud and excited to be able to invite Triumph and motorcycling fans from around the world to come and experience our brand first-hand, here at the factory where every Triumph starts its life,” Paul Stroud, Chief Commercial Officer, Triumph Motorcycles, said.

Spread across eight distinctly-themed areas that combine to create a full Triumph experience, from celebrating the shared attitude of riders and fans, to the incredible bloodline of bikes, racing and popular culture, to the global network our riders represent and the full story of design from sketch to final assembly, the Visitor Experience represents the home of the brand, built by riders, for riders.

In addition to the first model ever made, visitors to the experience will also find a host of rare and unique models including a 1919 Triumph ‘Trusty’ Model H used during the First World War, the 1959 Bonneville that shook the world and all of the brand’s legends with the Hurricane X75, T595 Trident and original ‘94 Speed Triple.

Racing and winning is also central to the Triumph story and features heavily in the experience. From an original 1920s TT racer alongside legends from American and British competition of the 1950s and 60s, as well as Gary Johnson’s 2014 Isle of Man Supersports TT winning Triumph Daytona 675.

Visitors to the new center can also sample the Triumph 1902 café, which offers freshly-ground coffee, a comprehensive menu and free Wi-Fi in unique surroundings – the perfect place to top up the tank before the journey home.

The Triumph Shop is also on-hand for those looking to mark their visit with a unique range of high-quality branded merchandise, clothing and limited-edition Visitor Experience souvenirs.

Admission to the Visitor Center is free of charge, while the 90-minute factory tour can be booked online in advance for £15 per person. The experience is open to the public from 1 November with tickets being available at the time of writing.

“With so many important and rare bikes on display, the Visitor Experience will be a must for motorcycle and movie fans alike, but also an opportunity to help us celebrate our proud heritage and our passion for building great motorcycles,” Stroud notes. “We hope this rewards and inspires every fan of the brand, and ignites a love for Triumph in a whole new generation.’’